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Weedkiller ingredient widely used in US can damage organs and gut bacteria, research shows (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Diquat is banned in the UK, EU, China and other countries. The US has resisted calls to regulate it

The herbicide ingredient used to replace glyphosate in Roundup and other weedkiller products can kill gut bacteria and damage organs in multiple ways, new research shows.

The ingredient, diquat, is widely employed in the US as a weedkiller in vineyards and orchards, and is increasingly sprayed elsewhere as the use of controversial herbicide substances such as glyphosate and paraquat drops in the US.

But the new piece of data suggests diquat is more toxic than glyphosate, and the substance is banned over its risks in the UK, EU, China and many other countries. Still, the EPA has resisted calls for a ban, and Roundup formulas with the ingredient hit the shelves last year.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 days ago (9 children)

Ah shit the grass killer I have has diquat. But the weed killer variant from the same brand doesn't have it, which is interesting.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (8 children)

Just don't get it in your body and you'll be fine. (This includes eating foods sprayed with it without washing. Maybe also foods grown in contaminated soil; I didn't read the article or study thoroughly.)

Personally I use Natria weed killer (https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/natria-grass-weed-control-with-root-killer-1-gal-707201a), active ingredients: Ammoniated soap of fatty acids, Maleic Hydrazide. I still wouldn't get it in your body, but I'm pretty sure it's less harmful and breaks down into harmless components much quicker.

Of course it's also less effective, so it might take multiple applications, but that's to be expected.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 days ago

Diquat bonds strongly to mineral and organic particles in soil and water, where it remains without significant degradation for years. However, bound to clays, diquat is biologically inactive at the concentrations typically observed in agricultural soils.

Unfortunately, the "just don't eat it" idea doesn't work so well when it persists in the environment for so long

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